Books on Noise and Vibration

By @GregLocock

All the books below have strong points and are reliable. I use them all except Ker Wilson, which I have read once from cover to cover.

  • Beranek ‘Acoustics’ - strong on acoustic theory. Definitive
  • Thomson ‘Theory of Vibration with Applications’ - Good engineering undergraduate/practitioner level text.
  • Rao ‘Mechanical Vibrations’ - analytical approach
  • White and Walker ‘Noise and Vibration’ - collection of papers, rather good
  • Bruel and Kjaer ‘Mechanical Vibrations and Shock Measurements’ - good, experimental emphasis
  • Harris ‘Shock and Vibration Handbook’ - broad overview.
  • Baxa ‘Noise Control in Internal Combustion Engines’ - nice collection of papers.
  • Ker Wilson ‘Torsional vibration’ - crankshaft TVs. Thorough and authoritative. (Of no interest to most people.)
  • Blevins ‘Natural Frequencies and Mode Shapes’ - a must for anyone who is analysing the dynamics of complex systems

Others recommend:

  • Den Hartog ‘Mechanical Vibrations’ - much cheaper than any of the above and a respected source.
  • Munjal ‘Acoustics of Ducts and Mufflers’ - Expensive but worth it if someone else is paying.
  • ‘Fundamentals of Acoustics’ Kinsler & Frey
  • For Industrial Noise Control:
    “Machinery Acoustics” by George M. Diehl Wiley-Interscience 1973